Liverpool defender Alexander-Arnold to return ‘soon’ but in doubt for Real Madrid game

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) — Liverpool right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold hasn’t returned to team training yet after of a hamstring injury and could miss next week’s Champions League game against Real Madrid, manager Arne Slot said Friday.

The England international was ruled out for Sunday’s Premier League match at last-place Southampton. He was substituted off in the 25th minute of Liverpool’s 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Nov. 9.

Liverpool, which sits atop the standings in both competitions, expects to be without goalkeeper Alisson Becker and forward Diogo Jota at least through the Madrid game Wednesday at Anfield.

At a news conference, Slot was asked about the trio’s availability for both midweek and next Sunday’s showdown with title rival Manchester City.

“The last few days of recovery are always the ones that are the most tricky because then they have to go from isolated training sessions to where it’s a group training session, and that is always the most difficult one,” Slot said. “It’s difficult to judge now and to tell you now it’s going to be one, two, three days or a bit longer. The only thing I can say is that with Alisson and with Jota, I don’t expect them to be available for that game. With Trent, it’s going to be in between.”

Alexander-Arnold will be training with the full team “soon,” the manager said.

Alisson has a hamstring injury. Liverpool hasn’t specified Jota’s problem but the Portugal forward hasn’t played since Oct. 20 when he left in the 30th minute of a 2-1 win over Chelsea. That was after a collision with a Chelsea defender.

Slot confirmed that Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk is “completely OK.” The center back returned from international duty with the Netherlands after playing in a 4-0 win over Hungary that clinched a Nations League quarterfinals spot. The Dutch played Bosnia and Herzegovina a few days later.

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